Nightmare in Chicago

"Nightmare in Chicago" is far different from Robert Altman's later work; in fact, if you didn't see his name in the opening credits, you'd hardly guess his involvement. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The film is technically crude (not helped by a poor print) and there is too much footage of a convoy moving down a highway to the same music beat, to the point where it begins to look like looped footage, probably to get the running time to feature length. But Altman does succeed at disturbing the viewer: there are some bold directorial choices, like a murder in plain sight. This must be one of the earliest serial-killer thrillers, and what's more, it's mostly told from the serial killer's perspective (the cops are interchangeable). All in all, an interesting curio. **1/2 out of 4.